


The Mall

by sunshinestealer



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-12 10:42:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7099594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshinestealer/pseuds/sunshinestealer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kurt and Jubilee spend time at the mall together.</p>
<p>(Forever sad that many of the mall scenes weren't in the theatrical cut :( :( :( )</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Mall

The year was 1983, and music couldn’t have been any better.

For somebody who had grown up listening to the wheezing strains of a circus marching band calliope and ecclesiastical music during Mass, the sheer variety and colours of sound in synthesised pop music was a fascinating experience.

Kurt must have looked a strange sight in this record store, headphones on over his pointed ears and bobbing along gently to the music as he picked through records. There was just _so much_ to choose from.

He’d exhausted the current discography of Michael Jackson (the _Thriller_ video and album had certainly played into a large part of that), and moved on to Blondie and David Bowie. The television set in the common room at the Xavier Institute was often tuned to MTV when Kurt was using it, where he’d sit transfixed at the strange fashions and try to learn the lyrics and dances to the songs he liked best.

The record store at the mall was a fairly large place, and the man who owned it had no qualms with a mutant like Kurt visiting once a week. The weekly allowance that the Xavier kids were given was more than enough for him to enjoy their custom, as Kurt picked up more and more LPs from the 1970s and tapes for easy listening in Scott’s car. 

Cyclops had even promised to show him how to make a mix-tape at some point. Not that his own mix-tape for Jean had gone down particularly well…

Kurt liked the place, especially talking about music with the shop owner. He could provide a wealth of recommendations, and had even managed to source an imported tape for Kurt — the single for the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest, which had been won by a German.

In an odd way, coming to the mall’s record store was like coming to an odd version of Mass — not in the large amount of people there or the rituals, but rather, the peace and solitude it offered. It felt blasphemous to admit, but it was true.

The mall itself was a place where Kurt had never had to feel like he was different, or had to hide under a disguise. In the past, in both West and East Germany, wearing a heavy coat, sunglasses and a wide-brim hat tended to get him followed around the store by security staff, until he was able to hide and teleport away. No such problem here in America.

He grinned, picking through some of the British ska and new wave records that had made their way to the US. He’d been hearing so much about them through the magazines and late night radio interviews, and was eager to sample their music for himself.

His last, most extravagant purchase had been the red leather jacket he so loved to sport. It was a near perfect replica of Michael Jackson’s from the _Thriller_ music video. Thankfully, enough had been mass produced so they weren’t terribly expensive, but still — over $70 for a jacket was still no sum to sneeze at. He was currently trying - and failing - to save up for his own hi-fi, rather than using a cheap portable turntable.

Jubilee was in the shop too, but she clearly wasn’t quite so enamoured with the current musical culture as Kurt. They’d been in here for nearly 20 minutes, and Jubilee almost felt like she’d have to cough up some cash and buy something soon, if only for politeness’ sake.

She nudged Kurt and pulled up ‘Rock The Kasbah’ by The Clash. “You came in looking for this, didn’t you?”

“Uh… yeah,” Kurt said, slipping the headphones around his neck. You could still hear the strains of bass-lines and high-pitched keyboard glissandos through the cans. “But there’s so much more to discover here!”

He briefly caught eye contact with the shop’s owner, who nodded respectfully before returning to marking up inventory.

When she raised an eyebrow at him, Kurt sighed and took the single from her. He was already holding a small stack of 8” records and some cassette tapes in his free hand.

He’d gotten almightily distracted during their shopping trip — Jubilee was supposed to be buying herself something from the new Banana Republic, one floor below. They’d split up from Scott and Jean in the food court on the first floor, and the record store was just at the end of the hallway… 

Kurt took off the headphones and went to pay, shooting Jubilee an apologetic look as they walked to the register together.

“I know, you like music.” She grinned. “And it’s actually kinda cute to see how caught up you get in it.”

He clenched his teeth together, willing himself not to get flustered by her. He wasn’t even sure if they _were_ boyfriend and girlfriend yet, or what American girls would consider too forward. Or it could have just been his slight social awkwardness.

He paid for the records, Jubilee smiling at the cashier and bobbing on her feet as Kurt made the transaction.

“Th-thanks,” Kurt said, as they walked out of the store together. “For sticking around.”

“No problemo.” Jubilee said, pigtails bouncing as she briskly headed over to the escalator. “Now come _on_. Banana Republic’s snazzy yellow coat could be sold out in my size by now!”

Kurt sighed and sought to keep up with her. She’d spared over twenty minutes for him — he wasn’t going to begrudge hanging around in a clothes store. In fact, the last time they had done this together, he’d come out with a brand new set of trousers and belts, and some tops that looked like he’d ran backwards through George Michael’s wardrobe.

America - for all of its faults - really was a paradise. The malls even more so. Not once had he been made to leave a store, or looked at strangely for his mutation. To the mall rats that Jubilee hung around with (some of whom were employed here), Kurt was the coolest thing _ever_.

He wasn’t some suburban teen trying to rebel by wearing quirky clothing. He really _was_ a rebel against the boring, homogenous state of humanity. Especially when they realised he wasn’t just some tattooed guy who painted himself blue and used prosthetics to achieve a certain look. It pleased Kurt to know that there were teens and younger adults who were supportive of mutants — not like that new ‘Church of Humanity’, filled with bigots hiding behind a warped version of his own religion.

Jubilee blew some bubblegum, fishing down around in the air until her hand found Kurt’s. “C’mon. Let’s go find whatever Gary Numan was wearing in his last video.”

“David Bowie.”

“Alrighty then.”


End file.
